An Arapahoe County District Court judge ruled Thursday that the city of Aurora s outside review of its emergency response to the July 2012 Aurora theater shooting can be made public. (Hyoung Chang, Denver Post file)

There is an abiding public interest in knowing why the emergency medical response to the 2012 Aurora theater shootings unfolded as slowly as it did.

That’s why we were glad to see an Arapahoe County District Court judge rule Thursday that a report commissioned to examine the performance of those first responders can be released to the public.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the James Holmes case had argued the report should remain under wraps. Holmes is accused of opening fire in a multiplex theater, killing 12 people and injuring many others.

The answer has the potential to inform policy in situations where seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

And it’s not just Aurora that could benefit from the lessons extracted from this catastrophe. Other emergency departments across the state and the nation almost assuredly will look at this report to see how they can improve.